Buy from the Bush Queensland needs a sponsor

Buy from the Bush Queensland has helped countless farmers boost their off-farm income in times of drought. The popular platform is in need of a sponsor to keep up the good work

Facebook page Buy From the Bush Queensland is showcasing brilliant Christmas gifts.

THERE is only one thing Buy from the Bush Queensland founder Kerri Brennan wants for Christmas: a sponsor.

The businesswoman, and beef producer, has been running the platform, which showcases small country businesses to city customers, for about 18 months to great success.

Almost weekly she is getting calls from farmers in drought, who have “side hustles”, teary with joy over the spike in sales they received after Kerri shared their products on her platform.

COOLA COZZIES: Julie Brown is on a property outside of Ilfracombe. The big dry started for her in 2013. She decided to focus her energy on something positive so created Coola Cozzies, a swimwear line that’s bright, vibrant and keeps you sunsafe. Visit www.coolacozzies.com.

However, the success has come at a toll.

Kerri’s day starts about 5am as she crams in the hours to co-ordinate the page.

As she runs her own off-farm business too, Little Miracles Maternity Wear, she has to pay staff to fill in her role while she spends more time on the page.

“We are farmers too, and are living on credit,” she said.

“So everything I spend on this goes on the credit card until it rains. It will cost a lot more at the end of the day.”

However, there isn’t any chance Kerri will quit.

FOR DAD: Rob Green, a broadacre cereal cropping farmer on the Western Downs, was looking at his old rain gauge in the garden and thought it looked a bit boring. So he created Greenie’s Garden Rain Gauges. Search Greenies Garden Rain Gauges on Facebook

“I have seen such incredible results for people,” she said.

“There is power in this page.

“I have had one business owner who sold 126 soaps, and 49 bath bombs. Incredible numbers, and ones she hasn’t had before.

“Every time I hear one of those stories I think, “ahh, come on Kerri, you have to keep going!”

The end goal is to have a nifty website that can act as a bush business directory.

A spot where users can search for goods, and learn which country businesses stock them. She hopes it might help urban dwellers plot weekend road trips to the regions.

Outback Sewing has created cute toilet roll holders. They are perfect for anyone working out bush, mustering or for the camping enthusiasts. The nifty case means there is longer a dirty toilet roll floating around in the back of a car, or behind the seat of a ute.Outback Sewing also makes gear bags, toiletry bags and shadecloth peg bags … to name a few. Search Outback Sewing on Facebook.

Through the platform, Kerri has also organised Share your Story events, which allow country creators to showcase their wares in one location in town.

Last weekend she was in Goondiwindi, and now has requests to travel to Roma, St George, Childers, Longreach, Julia Creek, Dalby, Winton and Kingaroy.

But to continue with that, a sponsor is essential.

Thinking big, she hopes a business like Toyota, which has dealerships in most country towns, will come to the party.

Little Button Essentials ‘Madannah Cream Range’ has been a hit with customers on the Buy from the Bush Queensland page.The creams don’t have any gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, nuts, artificial fragrances, artificial preservatives or petroleum. The business was formed on a property outside of Goondiwindi in western Queensland. Search Little Button Essentials on Facebook for more information.

In the meantime, she is running the platform on an oily rag and kindness from it’s followers.

A Goondiwindi grazier and businesswoman paid for her fuel so she could travel the five hours to Gundy.

“Carla Dillon, ‎ from Little Button Essentials, paid for my fuel,” she said.

“I wouldn’t have been able to afford to head there without her support.”

Kerri’s platform has been up and running for about 18 months. In October, however, a national Buy from the Bush page was founded which nabbed government funding and pro-Bono support from a large-scale PR company.

Search Buy from the Bush QLD on Facebook to see more. If you are interested in being a sponsor, email [e-mail].

BETTER DAYS: A stockman pushing cattle across the Narran river riding Dollar with his working dog Sky. This image, and a range of other stylish country pictures are available to purchase at www.photosforfeed.com.au.